Lots of chickens have had to die for us to come to Moldova!

I have never been fed so much chicken and potatoes in my life! I commend our cook Loliana for coming up with so many variations for chicken breast, but wow- when we leave will any chickens be left alive in Moldova?!! Today is Wednesday at about 10:00PM Moldova time and we have come to the Internet cafe to blog our thoughts for the day. I sit here listening to some R&B song in Romanian booming from the bar next door and honestly I find it hard to remember hearing familiar songs in English. It seems as if we have been here for much longer than 5 days. The last few days have been exhausting, exciting, heart breaking and convicting. So many emotions rush over you during the day as you spend time with the kids. I am trying to learn all of their names and I repeat them everytime I see them. They look at me with a curious look like "gee, can't you remember my name??" Many of them are hard for us Americans to pronounce, but when you do say their names their eyes just light up and they give you a big hug. Here are just a few details about some of the kids I have met: One girl, Olga, has nearly taken my breath away when she hugs me. Everytime she sees me she hugs me so tight. Almost as if she hugs me tight enough I will stay. She tries out English words on me like "hello" and "goodbye" and giggles when she gets them right and I say "bravo." Ana is like a leech. She mets me at the bus and grabs my back pack and wants to carry it around all day for me. She has big brown eyes and is just precious when she watches my mouth as I pronounce Romanian words and she corrects me. Igor is super smart and is always very eager to answer questions in group time. You can tell that he is eager to please and is good with the other kids. He says my name like a song "Sunny, Sunny, Sunny." Vacile is a real jokester and is always covering my eyes and hiding from me. Eugene is a quiet boy, but he is very intent when he listens to you. I have been reading stories from a picture Bible and he is just catatonic looking at the pictures. He wears a Superman shirt everyday and when we were looking at some pictures I had of my family, he was very excited to see my newphew Graham in his full Superman outfit. Another kids came into Arts and Crafts in a Batman shirt with full cape. It was cute. I called his name during evening worship to come sit beside me and when he sat down I put my arm around him. He looked up at me and smiled and then hugged me and kept his arm around me the whole worship service. These kids come up to you and just rub your arms, smell your hands and clothes and run their fingers through your hair. Even if I never said a word to them, they are happy just to sit in my lap, play with my watch (endless facination with the indiglo watches) and rub my arm. I have to say that it is difficult to hold back the tears several times during the day. You just want to scoop them up and give them everything that they need- clothes, a warm bed, love and attention and the opportunity to reach their potential. We have brought many things to help meet their everyday needs (underwear, socks, toys, etc) and have focused on feeding them the love of God too. It is funny that when you get off of the bus at the camp you seem to forget anything you have on your mind or anything that is bothering you. I have no concept of time or place since I have been here. Not just because we are all the way on the other side of the world, but because these kids just suck you in. You can just sit with them and watch them flip through a picture Bible and point out characters they know and talk in a language that you don't understand for hours. I need to get off now as we are heading back to the house to prepare for tomorrow. Thanks for all of your prayers!! Hope all is well and I can't wait to see everyone when I get back!!! I have fabulous pictures!!!